Our Summer Reads (and Other Finds)

 

We never underestimate the power of a compelling story to educate and inspire action. Here’s what ProSocial’s reading, watching, and listening to this summer.

Reading

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
Adam Grant’s latest book is all about what goes into successful innovation. Grant, a professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania, also wrote Give and Take, which I really enjoyed. It shared insights into the personal and professional benefits of being a giving person. —Sadie

Greater Good
I’ll be checking the blog from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center regularly this summer. Not only has ProSocial partnered with GGSC on multiple projects, but I also appreciate the site for its research-based, quick but deep reads on “the science of a meaningful life.” —Sadie

What A Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins
I’m ready to deep dive into this new book about how fish are responsive, sentient creatures with high levels of intelligence. It argues we should reconsider our farming and fishing practices, and as a neuroscience fanatic, I’m also interested in knowing more about fish pain receptors and what stimulates them in the tank environment, like coral reefs. —Jamie

The Sixth Extinction  and This Changes Everything
These are both on my “when I have free time” list. In The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert chronicles the past five mass extinctions and compares them to the widespread extinctions that are occurring now. In This Changes Everything, Naomi Klein talks about how climate change is changing everything about our world and how capitalism is contributing to the climate crisis. —Kaitlin

Modern Romance
My guilty pleasure will be finishing Aziz Ansari’s comedic take on modern dating (written with NYU sociology professor Eric Klinenberg). —Kaitlin

What It Takes: The Way to the White House
For the politically inclined, Richard Ben Cramer’s book follows six candidates during the 1988 election and shows just how crazy a campaign can be. —James

Hard Choices
Hillary Clinton’s walk through her tenure as Secretary of State gives insight into her and President Obama’s thought processes on issues of foreign policy. —James

The Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg explains the science behind how habits are formed and how to create new, ideally better habits. I’m currently reading this and find it super interesting. It applies to a lot of the work ProSocial does in terms of strategizing ways to shift people’s behavior around social issues. —Larry

Watching

The Moth
These live storytelling events take place in cities around the world. Themes change each month, and 10 people speak without notes for no more than five minutes at a time. City winners then compete against each other for the GrandSLAM title. It’s local, affordable, and always compelling. —Jacki

60 Days In
Season two of this fascinating A&E reality series premieres August 18th.  Seven volunteers enter an Indiana jail for two months to help “root out crime and corruption.” In season one, some made it, and some didn’t. The series gives a raw look at what really happens when people are incarcerated and shines a strong spotlight on the need for prison reform. —Jacki

And now…Bonnie’s Bucket List of Missed Documentaries:

The global photojournalism of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sebastião Salgado.

Citizenfour
About government surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Amy
The rise and demise of singer Amy Winehouse.

What Happened, Miss Simone?
The troubles and triumphs of singer/civil-rights activist Nina Simone.

Best of Enemies
The 1968 Democratic and Republican Conventions as covered by intellectual adversaries Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr.

Finding Vivian Maier
About an amazing, under-the-radar photographer.

The Last Days of Vietnam
The emotional evacuation of Americans and Vietnamese at the end of the Vietnam War.

Tab Hunter Confidential
The famous and secret life of in-the-closet 1950’s idol Tab Hunter.

Weiner
A behind-the-scandal lowdown on Anthony Weiner, focused on his derailed 2013 New York City mayoral race.

Listening

One of my favorite podcasts ever is Radiolab, covering science and philosophy, so I’m looking forward to listening to its new spin-off series. More Perfect deals with the inner workings and internal arguments of the Supreme Court and reveals how its decisions have shaped many political issues and continue to affect all of our lives. —Jamie

Rather than add more to my reading list, I’ve made a personal commitment to listen to more music this summer. Music used to be a big part of my life, but somewhere in the business of life, it dropped off. Lately, I’ve been thinking about all the studies about music therapy and why it works. So I’m going to revisit the songs of my youth and also classics that I listened to back in the day from eras before my time (Cat Stevens, the Beatles, etc.) and reabsorb the lyrics with the lens of more “maturity.” —Meredith
How is entertainment making a positive difference in the world or impacting your own world view? Share your reading, listening, and watching suggestions on ProSocial’s Facebook page.